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heather_harrison's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death of parent
pageboi31's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow this book hit hard for me. I don't know if I've read too many high-fantasy books in a row now (4-5 I think đ ), but from the moment I started Starling House I instantly connected to it and felt refreshed. I loved the small town setting in Eden, Kentucky that feels reminiscent to where I live, with characters that felt like people I could bump into in real life.
The characters in this book are great. Opal reminded me a lot of another book character I love, Ferius Parfax, both having wild red hair and an attitude/snark just as wild. The struggle Opal goes through (all the lying and stealing) just to scrape by and give her younger brother a better opportunity in life was very touching and felt so real. She was so strong-willed and never backed down from a challenge, never gave in where others would have. Arthur was also beautiful and broken, dreaming to leave but compelled to stay after his parents pass. I also loved Jasper, Bev the landlady, and Charlotte the librarian. They made a fantastic "found family" in a sense to Opal.
The book made a lot of unique choices that I really liked. The footnotes found throughout were cool
This book was such a surprise hit for me! I haven't been this surprised by my enjoyment in a book since last May when I read Recursion. Perhaps a harsher version of me would rank it 4 stars, but the way I was hooked in and loved every minute of it means it HAS to be a 5 star. Here's to hoping my buddy read-mates like it too đ
Moderate: Death of parent
livlamentloathe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I also wanted more of the book to touch on the racism Jasper faced in Eden. I wanted Jasper to better scold Opal for the way she ignored about that part of him. She made a comment later on that alluded to her getting it in part. But she also definitely was very forgetful of his race. The book itself barely even acknowledged his race. It took until the middle of the book for me to determine his ethnicity - maybe that's my bad and I missed an early tell. But I think overall, this book wanted to hide details and it didn't always handle that well. It would be evasive and add extra page time instead of being a bit more upfront about things. Maybe that was purposeful too with Opal's personality. But it felt like it was just trying too hard.
The premise felt like a cross between The Hazel Wood and Book of Night. I thought it was meant to be horror, but it wasn't horror so much as gothic. More of a magical realism/low fantasy romance. This book could've been great but I think it needed further editing and less evasive plot points. I get it. Most details were meant for "reveals" later but it became excessive when I got lost wondering what the point of the book was. Or what was going on period.
P.S. I'd have loved more of a violent ending for the Gravely family and Elizabeth Bane.
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
moniquewrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Child abuse and Homophobia
hagwife's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love that the characters' flaws have rhyme and reason and the chance to change; morally grey characters are always one of my favourites, but neither Opal nor Arthur nor Jasper are flawed for the sake of being flawed. They're all aggregations of their lived experiences, of inherited traumas and expectations that they didn't ask for, even as they continue to perpetuate some of them.
I love that this is a haunted house mystery without the haunting necessarily being about the house. Harrow's Starling House is less in the company of Hell House or Hill House, but that of Mervyn Peake's Gormengast, Susanna Clarke's the "World" from Piranesi, Jeanette Winterson's Tanglewreck, Tilly Walden's castle in The End of Summer, and Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle.
Concerning the end of the book, I wanted perhaps just a bit more.
For those who liked this book, especially the gothic and horror elements, I highly recommend Cherie Priest's The Toll.
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
thalassa_reading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Also, the House!! It's amazing!
But I found the ending quite unsatisfactory. Central arcs that motivated Opal's actions were suddenly set aside, the previous villains didn't matter anymore. The story spent so much effort on showing injustice and cruelty but then turns around and seems to say, cocooning oneself away is the path forward. I don't understand what happened to the House and why but I didn't like it. And finally, the author seemed to shy away from showing actual happiness and found family, instead there was a weird epilogue written from a great distance. It's far too short and unemotional to wind down from the finale.
Graphic: Misogyny and Death of parent
frawst_disasta_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
While the main characters are morally grey, I couldnât help but root for them, for their âwill they wonât theyâ and for the house itself.
This book is exactly what I needed/wanted the book to be. And I do love a book with some footnotes and illustrations. I will most likely re-read and annotate in the future.
Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Blood
aklovekorn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Death, Blood, Car accident, and Death of parent
mfmccoy0216's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Moderate: Violence and Death of parent
mad_is_rad's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death of parent